Meet Me in Midgar
by Matsie
Summary: A Final Fantasy VII fan fiction that starts just as Sephiroth is about to kill Aeris. Aeris is somehow saved and the mysterious girl who saved her has even more secrets than she's willing to tell. I know its a cliche start but i promise it's worth it.
1. Chapter 1: Who are you?

**Disclaimer**: I think we all know I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. Let's all give Square a round of applause and a pat on the back for being such great programmers, even way back in '97. Seriously, though, if you thought I owned Final Fantasy VII, you're a nanner. ESPECIALLY, since I've posted this on , which kind of entails this being a work based off of another person's. Anyway, on with the story! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 1- Who are you?

I rested my chin on my knee. She still didn't move. She was kneeling there, with hands clasped, deep in prayer. However bored I was, I did not take my eyes off of her, save for the moments I heard a sound coming from elsewhere. She looked delicate and peaceful down there. She rivaled the pristine waters and glow of the gazebo for which was more entrancing. A slight wind tussled her hair. She didn't flinch.

I deliberately chose this spot. I could easily see the whole area and had a clear view of her as well. I was high above the balcony, crouched on a small ledge. She couldn't see I was there and I could see if anyone else was. The balcony was dilapidated, yet the beauty of what it once had been still remained. It was like a stain on its white collar that could not be bleached. Huge parts of it had broken off and fallen into the water below, creating stepping-stones to the gazebo. The stairs were worn down by age and fallen debris. It had taken her quite a bit of effort to traverse the trail to where she remained praying for days now.

I scanned the area and saw them come in. Why did she trust them? That one with the spiky hair knocked her unconscious. It was so hard to remain invisible then. Cloud was his name. He'd been telling a whole mess of lies for quite some time. My background check proved to be fruitful in other ways, as well. I understood we had a link. He seemed to truly care for her, though, and so did I.

I fought back my suspicions as I watched them hike the same route I'd watched Aeris use days before. It was Cloud and those two AVALANCHE members with him. How father had been right about AVALANCHE! It wasn't about saving the planet; it was all about hurting Shin-Ra. It didn't bother me too much. Even though my whole existence depended on Shin-Ra, I wouldn't cry if it were destroyed. I wasn't aggressively trying to kill it, though.

Barrett-- the man with the gun-arm—I'd heard rumors of his existence. After everything that happened at Gold Saucer, I was amazed to find there were actually two men with gun-arms. He may have nothing but contempt for Shin-Ra, but I could see a good heart in him. He was a bit of a misguided soul, if you ask me. He hated Shin-Ra for what it did to his family and hometown. His hometown hated him because of what Shin-Ra had done. There was no way he could win, so he lashed out at the devil—Mephistopheles in the form of President Shinra. He was a muscular man and was adept at fighting. His gun-arm could certainly dole out a great deal of damage. He could have become a great asset to Shin-Ra Corp. had he not become one its top enemies. His senses were dulled by his hatred, though. He was easy to rile but slow to react to quick movement. I was sure to remember that…just in case.

The girl, Tifa, was quite a fighter. She was very adept in martial arts. Something Shin-Ra soldiers lacked. They could tote a gun all day but if it came down to hand-to-hand combat they were totally inept. Even the Turks had few good fist-fighters. Rude was something to look out for but he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Tifa was something different. Not only was she skilled, but she was also smart. She knew when to fight and what technique to use. She was not "kill first, ask questions later" as Barrett was. She evened him out. I always thought they would make quite a nice couple together, had she not been so enthralled with Cloud.

That spiky headed kid was quite a character. He fought with enormous strength and had the glow of mako in his eyes. My background check provided me with many answers and yet, it raised many more questions. There was no record of what happened to him after the massacre at Nibelheim until he popped up with AVALANCHE. He was a mystery to me.

I'd been watching this group for so long I'd noticed my growing affection for each of them. I tried to fight it but couldn't seem to shake my fondness of them. I started my mission with immense concern for Aeris' welfare and, now, I was beginning to grow concern for the rest of this rag-tag group of dissidents. I couldn't discern whether they were merely using this quest for Sephiroth as a means to get to and hurt Shin-Ra or if they had forgotten their original cause and really were trying to save mankind from total destruction. I couldn't be sure if they were formerly AVALANCHE or if AVALANCHE and its dictums still coursed through their veins. I knew only time would tell.

They neared the water and Cloud told the other two to wait. Even from my high vantage point, I could sense Tifa's dismay. I'd always had a knack for reading people. It was obvious Cloud hadn't because he still had no clue Tifa had a burning desire for him within her. Perhaps he was blinded by his love for Aeris? I hoped so. Aeris seemed to care for him deeply. Once again, Cloud appeared to be shrouded in mystery.

He jumped from stone to stone across the water. His pace quickened with each jump. Cloud was eager to see Aeris and I wondered if his presence would cause her to stir. Since I had surveyed the same scene for over two days, I was ready for a change, or at least some movement. I even wondered if she had died and I hadn't noticed.

When Cloud reached the outermost ring of the gazebo, he paused and grabbed his head. I'd seen this before! I was more alert now. Instead of being relaxed, I crouched ready to pounce. He slowly approached Aeris as she kneeled silently at the front of the gazebo. When he unsheathed his sword, I quickly glanced at his companions. If they were in on this, they were as dead as he was. Just as Cloud was about to strike, Barrett pounced on him and berated him, "What the hell is wrong with you, fool? You trying to kill her or something? You don't make no sense, boy. No sense at all."

I burned with anger, but I let it settle. As long as she wasn't hurt, I did not have to act. I heard a rustle from above me. When I looked in the direction it came from, I saw Sephiroth. I was shocked I hadn't sensed his presence before. My disappointment in myself I knew would have to wait because just as I noticed him, Sephiroth leapt down toward the gazebo, sword drawn.

I had learned to fear his sword as it had killed many more than I was willing to admit to myself. I had no time to remember this fear when I, too, leapt toward the gazebo. My footing had been slightly compromised due to gravel but I still had a good, strong jump. As I saw myself nearing Sephiroth, I frantically grabbed the long dagger I kept on the side of my calf. The force of our collision stunned Sephiroth for a moment. I had successfully knocked him away from the gazebo. Now that I had saved Aeris' life, I knew I had to start thinking of how to save my own.

We grappled for a few moments until we hit the water with a painful splash. I attempted to untangle my limbs from his as we sank further into the icy water. I sheathed my dagger to allow myself more mobility. For one fleeting moment, our eyes locked and I saw the most powerful anger and hatred. His anger could not, however, hide the helplessness and dementia that was buried deep within him. Just then, his cape wrapped around my face. I could not see—and worst still—I had scarce little time left; I couldn't hold my breath for too much longer. I blindly grabbed for anything. One hand found its way to his long hair and the other to the hilt of his sword, which he was able to keep hold of somehow. A power struggle over who would control his sword ensued. I used all of my failing strength to try to seize control. Finally, after pulling his hair repeatedly, his grip slacked and I was able to thrust it toward him. As his cape flowed away from my face I noticed a red tint to the water. I'd hurt Sephiroth! I was amazed at my own feat. Distracted by my thoughts, I didn't notice Sephiroth take back control of his sword and slash blindly at me.

I felt a flash of light course through my eyes and I watched as what was once red-tinted water became a murky crimson pool. As I drifted deeper and deeper into the water, I saw Sephiroth disappear—not without giving me an evil look. As my vision began to fade, I saw that damned spiky haired weirdo swimming toward me and lifting me up toward the surface. He laid me on the gazebo and asked, "Who are you?"

"Fiona." was my gasping reply.


	2. Chapter 2: She'll be back

Chapter 2- She'll be back

All I could see was darkness. It wrapped itself around me like a warm hug you can only get from your mother. I hadn't felt a hug like that from my mother in a long time. I felt a slight tingling start from the right side of my lower back and move slowly to the nape of my neck. When the tingling became a slight throbbing, I was no longer disoriented. I knew exactly what was happening: I was feeling the Jenova cells repair my body.

As far as I know, I am the only one with the ability to heal myself. I don't even think Sephiroth can. Maybe he's developed that ability and that is why he seems to be so indestructible. I could never know unless I spoke with Sephiroth and I didn't intend on doing that anytime soon.

When I felt the slight throbbing turn back to a tingling, I knew it was time to wake up. At least the painful part was happening while I was unconscious. I coaxed myself out of the warmth of my mind and slowly awakened. When I first opened my eyes, they burned.

"Mmf…It's so bright."

I rubbed my eyes and looked around myself. My surroundings were familiar. I jolted upright and gazed into the green eyes of one Aeris Gainsborough. I glanced around the room and saw the rest of the group conversing closer to the water. For a quiet man, Vincent was talking quite a bit—and I knew exactly what he was telling them. They probably wouldn't believe it, though.

When I glanced back to Aeris, I noticed she was studying me. There was a glint of recognition in her eyes, but it faded away soon after. I allowed her to scan over me until she had satiated her visual curiosity. She surveyed my face, memorizing every detail: my faded blue eyes and small, pouty mouth, each small dip in my skin; nothing was left unseen. She watched as my long red hair glimmered in the light and then she said, "You don't have freckles. That's strange. Is your hair dyed?"

The question caught me off guard. Of all the things she could have asked me at that moment, she asked about my hair. I cleared my throat and answered, "No. I don't dye it."

Aeris slowly nodded her head and looked at her friends standing ten feet away from us. The only one who noticed her was Cloud and just as she looked at him, he looked away. When I had assessed my surroundings, I'd noticed his stare. It was not on me, however. His gaze had been focused on Aeris the whole time. His intense stare was riddled with guilt.

Aeris' attention returned to me and she asked, "You're from Shin-Ra, right?"

"Yea, I work for Shin-Ra."

"Were you assigned to follow us?"

"Yes. It's purely a reconnaissance mission, though. You need not worry."

"Isn't Cait Sith supposed to be the one who spies on us? Why would you save me if it were only reconnaissance? Wouldn't you just tell your superiors Sephiroth had killed me?"

I chuckled as I though of how intuitive she'd become. As I cocked my signature half-smile, I said simply, "I guess it's not purely a scouting mission then, eh? I'm not supposed to let the Cetra die. As the last of the bloodline of the ancient race that began life here, I cannot let you die."

I said the last part without looking at Aeris. Instead, I watched Cait Sith. He seemed to stay quiet this whole time. If only you could see emotion on that damned toy! I thought it was a clever idea when Reeve suggested using a mechanical cat and stuffed toy in order to spy on the rebels, but now, I regretted not vetoing that decision. I assumed he was deliberating on what to tell the group or perhaps he felt Vincent had told enough. Whatever the reason for his silence, I wasn't the only one who'd noticed.

Barret looked at Cait and began to interrogate him. I couldn't hear what he was saying, so I tore my attention away from the scene and back to Aeris. She hadn't stopped looking at me.

"You called me a Cetra, not an Ancient. There aren't many who work for Shin-Ra who would know our real name."

"I have respect for a wise and ancient race. One I hope will not become extinct any time soon."

"I see."

Aeris grew quiet for a moment while she collected her thoughts.

"I didn't ask Vincent or Cait Sith who you were. I have no clue. Will you tell me?"

"My name is Fiona."

Aeris furrowed her brow.

"Is your name all you will tell me? I feel like I know you. Have we met?"

"Perhaps you'd seen me in the Shin-Ra building. It is where I work."

"Maybe…"

Just as Aeris had finished speaking, Cloud had walked over to us. He seemed much bigger than I'd remembered. I assumed it was because I was sitting on the ground. Cloud crouched down beside me.

"You're pretty high up in the Shin-Ra food chain, aren't you?"

"I'm sky high." I said with obvious contempt.

"But you are not a threat? We don't think you're threat."

"Good."

At this point, I'd felt my time here was done and I should probably report back to Tseng and Rufus. I kept this thought in the back of my mind as Cloud helped me stand up. I felt Aeris' eyes burning into my back.

"Your wounds have healed," she said with a shock, "How can that be?"

I looked up to the ledge I was perched on only minutes ago and then glanced back at all of the characters who stood before me. All nine of them were strong fighters in some respect and each had a distinct past. How these people met…well, I knew their stories but I was still in utter disbelief that they'd banded together as they had. I was truly amazed. As I peered into Vincent's eyes, I saw disbelief.

My eyes remained on Vincent's face, "I think it's time for me to leave."

I jerked my stare back to Cloud and then turned to leave.

Barret piped up, "Ya'll ain't gonna let her leave are you? We didn't get no questions answered! Not even that dumb cat'll tell us anything."

"She'll be back." Cait Sith finally chimed in.


	3. Chapter 3: Bone Village

Chapter 3- Bone Village

_Why would she ask if I dyed my hair? Does it look fake? What a weird conversation starter._ I thought to myself as I finally reached the breach of the Sleeping Forest. The Sleeping Forest was the only obstacle standing in the way of the archeologists of Bone Village's ability to discover the Ancient Capitol. I had no intentions of telling them how the others or I had gotten through. When I finally emerged from the forest, I had a welcoming committee.

"Scarlet, Heidegger! How kind of you to welcome me back. I have good news for you: I had a confrontation with Sephiroth."

"Did you kill him?" Scarlet asked.

"No, but—"

"Then I don't know what the good news is."

"Did you get our message?" Heidegger piped in. Although, I don't know whether Heidegger can really pipe—or chime, for that matter. He's a large man; he bellows.

"Oh, yea, about that…"

"So you did receive it and you still disregarded it? Typical. Just because you were daddy's little pet secret, you think you have the right to do as you please. I'm your boss, you arrogant wench!"

"Now, now, Scarlet, no need to yell. You might lose that whole 'cool, calm, collected and in charge' thing you got going on. Oh wait, you don't have that. You're just a bitch. Anyway, just so we're clear on things, I couldn't wait for you to show because I could sense Sephiroth's presence nearby. You seem to neglect the fact I'm on a very clear and distinct mission."

"A mission you assigned yourself!" Scarlet's voice cracked a bit.

"Ladies, Ladies! I like a good catfight as much as the next guy, but please we're in public. Besides, there's no mud put to make it interesting."

I recognized the voice instantly and averted my gaze toward its source. A tall young man in a white suit stood before me. His strawberry blonde hair fell over his eyes. The man slowly walked toward me and wrapped his arms around my waist while tossing his hair back.

"You're totally outclassed, anyway, Scarlet. You wouldn't stand a chance."

The tension in my back subsided and I looked into his eyes, "Rufus, I didn't expect you here."

My signature smirk emerged as I cast an evil eye at Scarlet just before I kissed Rufus. I didn't stop looking at her until we'd finished and Rufus spoke.

"We're actually on our way to the Crater. Hojo tells me that's where Sephiroth is."

"Among other things," I said to myself, "Hojo tells you this, eh? Is it reliable?"

"I would hope my information is reliable or I've really gone out of my way for nothing." Hojo said after emerging from a nearby tent.

"What the hell! Did I miss the memo saying the asshole parade was coming to town?" I jeered.

Ignoring my comment, Heidegger turned to Rufus, "Are we going to get back to the airship or are we just going to let everyone in Bone Village hear our plans?"

"We could burn the village down if it came to that." Rufus replied.

"Sir…"

Rufus sighed, "You're right. Let's go."

As the group of Shin-Ra's leaders made its way out of the city, Rufus turned to a nearby Shin-Ra guard and said, "Burn the village to the ground. I don't want any survivors."

When I looked back on the village and felt the burn of the flames, I cringed.


	4. Chapter 4: Another confrontation

Chapter 4- Another Confrontation

The airship was the finest example of technology I had ever seen. To mold scraps of metal into the humungous piece of majesty that constituted it was a feat without compare. The vast amount of computer technology that was housed within it allowed it to soar through the air.

Unfortunately, the person who had been put in charge of that magnificent piece of machinery was the ugliest brute I had ever met. Heidegger was a gruff man of about six feet in height. I'd say he had about six feet in width, too. His unkempt black beard seemed to be his attempt in compensating for his thinning hairline. Heidegger always appeared angry about something and he was more than willing to take it out on anyone in his vicinity. It was a personality trait I despised. Although, I doubt I would have liked the man even if he weren't so abusive.

Scarlet was another utterly sadistic soul Shin-Ra had allowed to fight her way to power. She held a more regal demeanor—or, at least, tried to. Scarlet used her female figure in order to put on an air of graciousness but she was a cutthroat woman who knew nothing of humility or grace. She had others do her dirty work so she could step back and laugh at the poor soul upon which her goons inflicted damage. Her laugh was a callous laugh coming straight from her gut. Her ruthlessness came straight from her core. Anyone who stood in the way of what Scarlet wanted would be killed. No wonder Shin-Ra had promoted her as often as it had. Shin-Ra condoned-- if not encouraged—such behavior in its leaders. I was fully aware I had made an enemy out of her and I sure she knew of how much I didn't care.

We boarded the airship in silence. Rufus led the procession as I took up the rear. Sadly, this meant I had to witness Heidegger bark out orders to his crew.

"You worthless slime can't do anything right! The ship hasn't been cleaned since my departure with the President! Did you even bother to check whether all systems were functioning and that the engines are fully charged? You spineless pieces of shit, I—"

"Heidegger, why do you insist on gaining fear just because it's impossible for you to gain respect? And Heidy, sweetheart, shit doesn't have a spine. If yours does, I'd call a doctor." I said while pausing in the doorway that led inside the ship.

Heidegger grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the doorway in one smooth and swift motion. I could feel his hot breath on my face as he tried to keep control of his anger.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't speak to me that way in front of my men. You aren't so important you can't be replaced."

I tore my arm away from Heidegger's grip and in my own smooth motion unsheathed my dagger and put it to his throat.

"Heidy, I think you'll just have to deal with my little comments for now and watch your men laugh at you. Then I suppose you'll beat them into bloody submission once I leave. Then again, you could skip the last part and just deal with it." I said slowly and calmly. I flicked my wrist and cut off a piece of the old man's black beard.

"Scarlet was right. You are an arrogant little bitch."

"She said wench."

As I entered the inside of the airship, I could hear the chuckles of the crewmen while Heidegger screamed his lungs out. I even sported a smirk of my own. When I was on fire, I relished in it. My smile, however, was only in part because I probably scare Heidegger out of his mind and had his crew laughing at him. I was also smiling because I agreed with him. I was arrogant; I just knew who to be arrogant toward.


	5. Chapter 5: Quiet riot

Chapter 5- Quiet riot

I quickly made my way to my quarters. The living quarters of the crew and guard were small and dank. My living arrangements, on the other hand, were of a slightly more enviable sort. I had satin sheets and feather pillows. I also had a guest. Actually, it's more fair to say I was his guest. His room was filled with red satin and posters of himself. After all, being President Rufus allowed him to be vain. Who would scold him for it?

"Come and give baby brother a kiss." He said as he walked toward me, wine bottle in hand.

"You know, it really creeps me out how many photos of you are in this room. It's like your own personal shrine to yourself."

I walked closer to Rufus and once and arm's length away from him, I gently grabbed his collar and pulled him closer to my body.

"Yea, I deserve the pictures. I run this planet. Nothing happens without me saying it should," Rufus mused, "What is it? You want me to have shrine to you or something?"

I let go of his collar and frowned.

"I don't understand how we were raised by the same people."

"Maybe I took after them more than you did. Now let's stop the chit chat and do some things that are a little more interesting."

Rufus' smile wasn't phased by my grimace. I looked at the wall where a long red banner decorated with Rufus' face was hanging.

"I think I'll eat first. I've been gone a long time."

Rufus wrinkled his nose and turned his back to me.

"I suppose I'll see you later then." he said coldly.

I let out a deep sigh, "You really know how to wine and dine a girl, Rufus."

I leaned forward and kissed his neck before I left to venture around the airship.

I'd only been on the airship a few times. I was more accustomed to chartering a boat to get to my many destinations. A much slower mode of transportation but it worked. The novelty of the airship still clinged to my mind. Somehow, I didn't think the rest of the ship's inhabitants felt the same way about it.

I walked down the hall heading for the boardroom. The metal grate shuddered with my every step. When I heard an extra set of footsteps getting closer and closer to me, I became alert. I casually crossed my arms and gripped my handgun. When I felt the stranger almost directly behind me, I whipped around gun drawn and finger on trigger. I was face to face with a mechanic on the ship.

"Oh, sorry! I guess I'm a little paranoid." I said as my face reddened with embarrassment. I slowly lowered my gun and put it back into its holster.

"I'd be paranoid, too if I had talked to Heidegger the way you did! Don't worry, though. You've made a lot of friends here with that stunt. If something were to happen to you, it wouldn't be here."

The red in my complexion deepened, "He shouldn't treat you that way. Without you, this whole operation would be impossible."

"You were right with what you said earlier. He'll beat us once you're off the ship."

"I swear, the first chance you get, you should leave and never look back."

"Ha. I hear that. I doubt it would ever happen, though. Anyway, I have to get back to work. I still think it's amazing you said that to the captain like that. I'm Bud, by the way. Who're you?"

At this question, my smirk reappeared, "We never met."

I walked away and turned the corner to where the boardroom was. I opened the tall iron door and slid inside. I noticed a few crewmen sitting at a small foldout table in front. Scarlet and Hojo were at the head of the main table eating together. Even though they hated each other, they would rather eat together than with any of the workers. I went to the food table and dished out some food for myself. I decided I needed some time alone to ponder the day's happenings so I made my way outside the boardroom. While walking up the stairs, I wondered why they had doubled the boardroom as a mess hall.

Once upon the deck of the ship, I walked hastily to the rail. Since Bone Village had been so close to the Crater, it was a very short trip to reach our destination. Once I had taken my attention away from my tray and toward the sky, my pace slowed down remarkably. The crater was bigger than I had ever imagined. If I hadn't been so hungry, I'm sure I would have dropped my tray from shock. Alas, my hunger overtook my astonishment and I sat myself down and at hurriedly, gazing in awe of the Crater.

With a radius of over fifteen miles, the crater was huge. All the trails along its edge were craggy rock set at an incline. The closer you were to its center, the darker and more mysterious it became. The Crater had a mystical aura about it that reminded me of the Ancient Capitol. Perhaps, it is because of the legends surrounding its creation.

As the legend goes, Meteor was summoned many years ago. When it struck the planet, it caused a huge wound. It was sure the planet would die. The Cetra gathered around the giant-sized wound and summoned the Lifestream to heal the planet. They had sacrificed themselves for the sake of the planet.

The Cetra's civilization had always amazed me. I probably would have become an archaeologist in Bone Village had I not been enlisted by my father for other things. When the memory of Bone Village came to my mind, my eyes began to well up. I soon gained my composure and addressed the Crater again.

_So this is where Sephiroth has been hiding?_ I thought to myself. _If he is being housed here, how did I fight him before? Is he able to project himself out and make his mental projection into flesh and bone?_

If that were the case, then Sephiroth was much stronger than anyone had assessed. I knew Aeris and her friends had a tough road ahead of them. What I wasn't sure of was whether I could help them on that road.


	6. Chapter 6: She came back

Chapter 6- She came back

After some time, the awe the Crater inspired in me had faded and I began to survey it with a more critical eye. If that were where Sephiroth was being kept or hiding, I wanted to know the terrain. Any prior knowledge of the area could help in a pinch. The first thing I noticed was that although many trails were on the rim of the Crater, only one safe route led to its center. One way in; one way out. I didn't like that at all. Upon further inspection, I noticed a sprawling amount of extra movement on the Crater's surface. It was crawling with monsters and beasts.

Even after my extensive surveillance, I only saw one route to where Sephiroth quite possibly was hiding. The trail was broken up and craggy, but still easily traversed. I wasn't sure how Scarlet and Heidegger intended to protect themselves in such terrain. Old Heidy wasn't prepared to bring a task force of Shin-Ra guards and the Turks were off and elsewhere. I smiled as the thought of Scarlet hiking through the rocky terrain in stiletto heels popped into my mind. Scarlet and Heidegger were so jealous of Hojo for finding Sephiroth's hiding place before they had. I could especially see the jealousy in Heidegger. He had been even more mean and cruel to his crew than usual.

I pondered the inner workings and corruption of Shin-Ra for a few moments and then made my way back inside the ship. I paused a moment at the top of the stairs and looked around myself. All the workers were busy fixing things, checking do-dads and pressing buttons. Seeing all those people working so hard made me feel lazy. It suddenly occurred to me I'd forgotten my mission!

I jogged back to my quarters to find Rufus asleep; in a drunken stupor, no doubt. Relief swept over me and I walked swiftly toward the closet. I changed my blouse and slipped on a pair of black slacks. I quietly rifled through the small chest of belongings I kept in Rufus' quarters. I deftly locked three small materia orbs in my rifle and locked in another two into my dagger. Just before leaving, I decided to take a small, light jacket. I wanted to keep warm but I had to allow for movement. Aeris and the others must be nearing the Icicle Inn area and I had to catch them off at the pass. Now that my cover had been blown, I supposed it would be all right to make my presence known. Well, at least some of the time, anyway.

I trekked to the underbelly of the ship and spoke to one of the crewmen.

"Excuse me, do you know where the motor storage is?"

"You mean storage for the motor bikes?"

"Yes. I wasn't sure where it's located."

"I'd check round the garage on deck. They keep that kind of stuff there. Say, you're that girl that mouthed off to the cap'n! Nice to meet ya, lady!"

I was in too big a rush to give an adequate response, "You too!" I ran up the stairs to the deck and did a quick scan to find the garage. It wasn't that hard to find, though. "GARAGE" was written on it in letters about the size of people. I went inside and took a peak at what was being stored there. After finding far two many beat up trucks, I neared the end of the garage and of my hope. Luckily, tucked into the corner with a sheet over it was a motorbike. I thanked my lucky stars and tore the sheet off the bike and wheeled it out of the dark room.

I jumped a bit when I felt a cold hand on my shoulder as I rolled the bike onto the deck.

"Sorry to scare you, miss. Jim said you were looking for a bike so I figured I'd help you get the walkway down. It's hard for just one person." the mechanic said.

"You're…Bud, right?"

"Yep. That's my name. Anyway, the walkway's over here. I'll go and press the button for it to be released. Where're you going to, anyway?"

I looked the man up and down and said, "I really don't think I should be talking about that."

He shrugged his shoulders and walked to the small control hut on the deck. I saw the small walkway lower itself to the ground. I noticed how steep it was and knew it was going to be quite a stunt to get the bike down it. I hopped onto the bike and backed it up a bit. After revving the engine a few times for show, I bolted off the ship. In lieu of using the walkway, I merely jumped over it. I flew 100 yards in the air and hoped I didn't land in the crater. As I made my fast descent toward the ground, I tried to maneuver the bike sideways. Although I almost flipped over a few times, I somehow landed on the ground without hurting myself, but more interestingly, the bike seemed unscathed as well.

When I had collected myself, I raced off in the direction of Gaea's Cliff. The weather grew cooler and cooler until I began to really regret taking only a light jacket. When I reached the top of Gaea's Cliff, I situated the motorbike against a large rock and began to climb down the gigantic cliff. A cold wind clung to the warmth of my body as if it were trying to eradicate it. When I had finally reached the bottom of the cliff, hours after I embarked on the long climb down the rock face, I took a few moments to look around myself.

There were few landmarks of note surrounding Gaea's Cliff, so I decided to just continue down the trail toward Icicle Inn. I assumed the group would have already reached the town, so I would meet them halfway at the old climber's cabin. I reminisced about the time I went climbing _up_ Gaea's Cliff years ago. I wondered if old Holzoff would even remember me. He had taught me a lot about keeping warm in freezing conditions. Although, I knew wearing a light jacket wasn't one of them.

At dusk, I was less than a mile away from Holzoff's cabin but the weather had been swiftly deteriorating since mid-afternoon. I knew that if I were caught in a storm, even being this close to his house, I would likely freeze to death. I swore the next time I went out, I would plan MUCH better. A glint of disappointment in myself loomed within my thoughts. Periodically, I had been casting a fire spell while hiking in order to give myself a quick warm up before battling the cold snow and ice again. This process of casting the spell, hiking, then casting the spell again was beginning to wear me down. This was especially true when I considered that I hadn't slept in days. My endurance was almost at an end.

Finally, I reached the cabin. Delighted, I knocked on the door. It swung open and there I saw old hiker Holzoff with a cup of tea in his hands. Just behind Holzoff I saw Barret with his gun arm cocked straight at the door.

"Yes, who's there—Fiona! Are you hiking the cliffs again?" Holzoff clicked his tongue on the back of his teeth, "Tsk, tsk! That is not going to keep you warm on a hike! Come inside!"

I more than happily rushed inside and nestled myself close to the fire. Its warmth was a refreshing change from the arctic cold outside the cabin. I turned back toward Holzoff and gave him a meek smile and softly said, "Actually, I've hiked down them."

Holzoff jumped with disbelief and walked closer to me, "You hiked all the way down in just that there that you're wearing? Are you mad? How did you—"

"Now wait just a damn minute here! Ain't that damn Shin-Ra girl who did that crazy shit with Sephiroth back at the Ancient Capitol? I don't care how she got here. What I wanna know is why she's here!" Cid yelled belligerently.

I heaved a tired sigh.

"I promise won't be so secretive once I get some sleep. I'm dog-tired…and cold. I can't think straight right now. Besides, don't be such a nanner about things. I'll leave my weapons with you."

Cid's expressions changed from angry to confused and then back to angry.

"Cid, let her get some sleep. I don't think she hurt us even if she tried." Tifa said as I handed her my weapons. I detached the materia orbs from my guns.

"I think I'll keep my materia with me, if you don't mind." I said while eyeing Yuffie.

Holzoff showed me to a bed and once I had lain down, I fell instantly into a deep and soothing sleep.


	7. Chapter 7: Cuppa tea, cuppa tea

Chapter 7- Cuppa tea, cuppa tea

I slept peacefully for what seemed like days. The bed was so warm and toasty! I felt the dull sense that someone was touching me and woke up with a start and reached for my dagger. When I felt its absence from my calf, I relaxed again. I was in old man Holzoff's cabin at the top of Great Glacier—or the bottom of Gaea's Cliff, depending on your perspective.

Someone brushing against the bed had stirred me from my comfortable slumber. I saw Tifa sitting in a chair by the door, reading a map. She looked up from the map when she had noticed my movement.

"Oh, are you awake? I brought you some water."

"I guess that's what woke me up." I said with a drowsy smile.

"Sorry," Tifa paused for a moment, as if in thought, "You hiked here all the way down the cliffs? How did you get above them in the first place? No one moves THAT fast."

"Heh. I used the airship. Flew up there, ya know?"

"Oh. The Shin-Ra airship, right? Why are you following us? Vincent told us you were one of Hojo's experiments. He said you were just a baby then."

"Yea. I'm surprised he recognized me. The old fart has quite the memory if he can see a baby's face in mine."

Tifa stared, almost entranced for a moment and said, "Everyone's waiting by the fire."

I slowly crumpled myself out of bed and followed Tifa out of the bedroom. I felt eighteen eyes burning into my back as I moved toward the fire. I slowly knelt down before the fire, took a deep breath and turned around. I faced the curious and suspicious group with my back to the fire and said, "I suppose you guys are wondering why I'm here."

"That's for damn sure." Cid mumbled.

"Got that damn right. Why you here, an' why were you at the Ancient city? Damn Shin-Ra always got to go and spy on people. Never let them be. Now they tag teamed our asses." Barret bellowed.

I directed my attention to Cait Sith, "They give you the Inquisition, too? I guess Shin-Ra will probably get around to it, soon."

Barret interrupted, "Now don't go an' try to change the subject, ya hear?"

Holzoff stood in the corner watching the spectacle. He looked at me with a sympathetic eye. He became distracted by a high pitched whistle that emanated the room. He glanced at the stove and then back to me, "Would you like some tea? Can't do anything without something warm in your belly!"

"Yes, Holzoff, I'd love a cup of tea. Although, with the looks of things, I suppose I'd need the whole pot!" I said with a smirk.

Holzoff chuckled as he walked toward the stove and the freshly made pot of tea. He gathered some cups and saucers and put them on a tray with the teapot and walked toward the group.

"I brought cups for everyone."

Holzoff retreated back to his corner while I was pouring my tea. After taking a sip, I began my story.

"I guess Vincent there told you a bit about me. When I was a baby, Hojo…found me and began experimenting on me in secret. At this point, what was known as the Jenova project was in its middle stages."

Tifa looked surprised, "The Jenova project, that's the project that had to do with Sephiroth, right?"

"Yea, that's the one. Well, see, Hojo wanted to attempt to infuse a human with mako and Jenova cells but Professor Gast didn't think they knew enough about the cells and the body's reaction to mako in order to start human experiments. Gast didn't want to experiment until he knew what was a lethal dosage."

"I'm assuming Hojo disagreed." Nanaki said coldly.

"You assumed right! Hojo disregarded Gast's orders and secretly began to infuse Mako into my bloodstream. He had me on a mako I.V. for weeks, observing my reactions with a clinical eye and didn't care that I was dying. After he had appropriately recorded my reactions to sustained high concentrations of mako, he pilfered away a large quantity of Jenova cells and integrated them into my genetic makeup all at once. He had no discretion in his experiments. He just wanted to know what would happen."

Nanaki perked up, "Wait, how were you able to withstand such experiments and trauma as a baby?"

"Hojo would cast heal spells on me at an almost constant speed. All my body wanted was to die but he wouldn't let it. I imagine that's why my healing rate is so strange. My assumption is that by casting Heal so often, Hojo made the Jenova cells adopt that ability."

"That bastard, mutilating a kid like that. I hope that son of a bitch burns." cursed Cid.

I paused for a moment and sipped some tea while allowing all I had said to sink in and marinate within their minds. Cloud was the first to speak, "How did he do it?"

"See, I'm not quite sure. His methods have developed over time; especially since after showing Gast his findings, the Professor put the green light on the final phase of the Jenova project. I was much too young to remember what exactly Hojo did to me. His lab notes are hidden somewhere, so I can't get to them. Sometimes, though, I feel like he's still studying me. It's kinda creepy."

Barret was thinking intensely on something. His brow was furrowed and he was tapping his leg on the floor. I was afraid he was going to let off a couple rounds from that gun of his to get the energy out of him. Instead, he looked at me.

"I got a couple of questions. If you was too young to remember the experiments and you haven't seen no lab notes, how you know it happened?"

"I was wondering the same thing." Nanaki added.

"My father told me."

"Who's your father?" Barret asked.

"President Shinra."

A sudden silence swept over the group. It seemed they all had frozen in place. Even Vincent seemed more quiet and broody then usual.

"Well, he adopted me, I mean," I tried to break the uncomfortable silence, "His wife was having trouble getting a bun to stay in the oven. So, when he walked in on Hojo one day and saw me there, he pretty much told Hojo I was going to be a gift to his wife. Broke that bastard's heart, I bet, to see me go like that. Then when I was seven, she had Rufus."

Cid seemed amused, "So what, you part of the goddamn Shinra clan? You weren't lying that pretty red off when he said you were high up in the company food chain!"

"I guess I'm high up. I mean, I am a Turk and I have full access to everything in Shin-Ra. I just follow orders, though. It's kind of like…having a lot of potential but none of the power."

Aeris stood up and looked me in the eye. "I know the Turks. I've never met you. Why are you following us?"

It was the first time I'd seen Aeris angry. It scared me a bit to find the only time she was riled up that way was because of me.

"I'm one of the many secrets Shin-Ra holds. I do most of the REALLY covert ops. I'm alone a lot. I'm following you because it's my orders. I follow orders. I follow the pied piper as long as he keeps blowing on that flute."

"Why did Shin-Ra have you following us?"

I turned my head away from Aeris and the rest of the group and faced the fire that burned brightly behind me. I shuddered as a wave of memory flooded my mind.

"It's not really Shin-Ra that's given me my orders. You can ask Ree—I mean, Cait Sith. He's their spy for you. I'm not here to hurt you," I turned to look into Aeris' eyes, "I promise you that."

Aeris moved forward and then knelt before me and looked into my eyes. I felt like she was scanning my thoughts or reading my mind or something. It almost seemed as if she saw the memory that replayed over and over in my head whenever I saw her.

"I believe you."


	8. Chapter 8: Guilty

Chapter 8- Guilty

Aeris' assurance she believed I didn't want to hurt her made me crack a peaceful and confident smile. I put my cup of tea down and stood up and looked at the group. Cid and Barret still seemed suspicious of my motives.

"I really…I'm not after you or anything. I can't explain it. I just…I just want to see you succeed."

Barret refused to believe me, "You wanna see us ruin Shin-Ra? Bullshit."

"I don't want to see Shin-Ra ruined. That's not what I mean. I mean I want to see you save the planet. Besides, I know more than anyone that Shin-Ra needs a swift kick in the pants."

"Aw right. I don't get yo' weird ass. You ain't just workin' for Shin-Ra you ARE a goddamn Shinra. How come you wanna see your own company get screwed?"

"I'm telling you, Barret, I don't want to see the company flounder. I just know it's messed up, okay? It's not my company, anyway. I just work there."

"You work with her, right, Cait Sith? Is she lying?" Cloud asked.

"Well, umm," Cait Sith said nervously, "I actually haven't had much interaction with her. All I know is both Heidegger and Scarlet think she's a bitch. I've also heard she has quite a mouth on her. Rufus can attest to that one."

Cait Sith chuckled at his last comment and my mouth dropped open. I quickly shut it and said, "Well, _that_ was a rude comment."

"Meh. I've heard the rumors. So they're true, eh?"

"I really don't see what this has to do with anything, Reeve."

"Neither do I! Especially since I don't have a damn clue what the hell you two are talking about!" Cid declared.

"Reeve, erm, Cait Sith is just referring to an intra-office rumor about relationships."

"As in you're sleeping with your brother, right?" Tifa asked.

"Yes."

"So you are?"

"It's a complicated situation. What does this have to do with what we're talking about?"

"Ewwwww. She's doing her own brother?" Yuffie finally added to the conversation—if you can call it an addition.

"I guess they're not really blood related." Cloud said while scratching the back of his head.

I turned toward the fire and listened to them quibble over my relationship with Rufus. I became infuriated with Reeve for making my personal life known in such a fashion. It wasn't integral information to the situation. I sipped my tea while staring at the fire. The flames danced and licked the air. I felt a slight brisk air swirl around my left side. Aeris stood next to me, looking at the fire.

"I know you."

"You know I what?"

"I know who you are. You don't have to defend yourself. Maybe you should take a break. We've been talking for hours."

Aeris turned around and addressed her comrades, "I think we need a little break. Let's eat?"

A murmur of agreement was sounded and the group split off to get their packs. Aeris went to her things as well. I remained staring at the fire. I was transfixed on the flicker the tongues produced. I could anticipate their movements as if they were by pattern.

"If I had known who she was…I wouldn't have…"

I heard someone say abruptly from behind me.

I turned around to see Vincent standing with his side to my back. He watched Aeris begin to cook some stew on the stove. She hummed softly to herself. I wasn't sure whether Vincent was mumbling to himself or talking to me. Aeris was much too far away to hear what he was saying. Finally, he turned toward me and said, "If I had known who your mother was I would have never taken you from her. I suppose you found your way back, somehow."

My eyes widened when I realized what he was talking about. I stood up and put my hand on his shoulder. He flinched slightly when I touched him but gave no signal that I shouldn't have. Vincent looked at me and then into my eyes before quickly looking away.

"It was a random kidnapping. She was just the first mother I saw. I didn't know…He did things to me but it could never compare to forcing a child—a baby—into that kind of ordeal."

"Vincent, don't apologize. I'm a Turk, too. It's our job. I don't blame you. There's no guilt here. You were only following orders."

"That's where you're wrong, Fiona. Blind obedience makes you even more guilty than when informed."

Vincent slowly walked away and into another room. His words clung to my ears as I knelt back down next to the fire; wishing I had just kept my presence secret.


	9. Chapter 9: Another quick departure

Chapter 9- Another quick departure

I became increasingly uncomfortable around the members of AVALANCHE. I wasn't ashamed of my relationship with Rufus but I felt my private life had been exposed without my consent. I poked at the fire and put a few more longs on it. I decided I would leave soon. I'd cam outside a distance away from the group.

I stood up, still gazing at the fire. It was beautiful. Blue, orange, yellow flames all danced spasmodically within the hearth. The smoke whisped around and up the chimney toward the outside world. It left the warmth and comfort of the fire to venture toward the cold, biting elements of the cliffs outside.

"Nice fire. I bet you have a lot of practice making them." Tifa said after stepping forward to stand next to me.

"Yea."

"Listen, I guess it was wrong to talk about your relationship like we did but it's just so weird, ya know? I mean, it's not everyday you meet someone who's—"

"Yea, I know." I cut Tifa off before she could finish her statement.

Tifa paused for a moment, realizing she have been touching a sore subject, "Hey, I got a question about your story."

My mood lightened a bit and I looked at Tifa, "What's your question?"

"Well, I was thinking about it and you said Gast told Hojo they weren't going to do any human experiments, right? But you look like you're just a kid, not much older than Yuffie. Plus, you said Rufus is younger than you. So where does Sephiroth come in?"

"I guess I never really explained it. After Hojo told Gast about his experiments on me, Gast decided human experimentation was possible and Sephiroth was added to the Jenova project. I'm 36 years old, Tifa."

Tifa's eyes widened.

"Hey, I have a question for you, now."

Tifa seemed intrigued, "Okay, what's _your_ question, Fiona?"

I lowered my voice in case someone else might hear, "You know he's not being completely honest. He wasn't the member of SOLDIER sent with Sephiroth to Nibelheim. Why don't you say anything?"

Tifa's face hardened a bit, "I don't know. I know it's Cloud but he doesn't remember anything. He doesn't know things he should but he wasn't there and he knows everything. How? I just don't know."

"I see. Well, I guess I can understand your confu—"

"Hey, you'd know! Is Cloud part of the Jenova project?" Tifa blurted.

"Well, most of the records refer to subjects by numbers, rather than by name, " I drew a deep breath, "Yes, he was, Tifa."

She frowned and looked down to the ground. She was visibly disappointed. She lifted her head and looked at me with the most frightened face I'd ever seen.

"Am…am I?"

Her question confused me. Why would she think she were part of the project? Could it be because so many of the subjects were taken from the Nibelheim survivors?

Perplexed, I answered, "No. Of course not."

Now it was Tifa's turn to be confused. I wondered what was going through her head. There must have been some conversation I hadn't heard or maybe Tifa had some secret doubt about herself and her origins. Tifa walked away wrapped in her own thoughts.

I cleared my throat and turned to where Aeris and Cloud stood talking. Just as I had turned, I saw Aeris giggle in a way a girl would when flirting. I smiled to myself.

"I have to go now. I only came to explain myself a bit. So now I must go. Oh, before I leave, Rufus, Scarlet and Heidegger are all up at the Crater, too. I'm sure you're going there to battle the big bad. It's just a warning. They have a head start on you."

I walked out the door as Aeris said, "See you there."

Holzoff ran out of the cabin when I had traveled only twenty feet from his home.

"Fiona! Wait!"

I jerked around and saw Holzoff holding a small parka and a pack of some dried meat and bread.

"You know to eat the bread first. Remember to keep warm, okay? I want to go climbing again with you someday. You're the only one who could keep up with me."

I smirked, "If I can keep up with you, you must have put on quite a bit of weight, old man!"

Holzoff chuckled but his expression stayed grim, "Be careful."

I raised my arm and put my hand on the old man's shoulder, "Don't worry. I'll be taking my vacation her in no time."

I carefully put the parka on and fixed the pack to my back. I walked forward and made my way up the cliffs.

_Those guys sure do dawdle._ I thought to myself as I climbed up the rock face.

Every now and then, I paused on a ledge and used the Fire spell. It was much less frequent now that I was wearing the parka.

Since I had left Holzoff's so late in the day, I soon found that sunlight was fading. Without the sun, the temperature on the cliffs would drop to an unbearable low. I scanned the area and saw a cave about two hundred feet up and to my right. I resolved that would be my destination for the night.

It was actually a lot harder to get to the cave than I had expected. Finding places to get a good enough grip to pull myself up made the climb difficult. I had to pause and inspect the rock for nooks and crannies to fit my hand into. My arms were turning to spaghetti when I finally reached the cave.

I stood in the mouth of the cave and watched the sun sink lower and lower in the sky. The horizon was a rainbow of colors and then, almost suddenly, a deep bluish black. The sky was empty until small dots of light began to emerge from the darkness. You couldn't see many stars in Midgar. There were far too many lights on.

I turned around and walked inside the cave. I had gathered a few small pieces of wood and kindling while hiking the short stretch between Holzoff's and Gaea's Cliff. I laid them down on the ground and built a small fire. I put the extra wood next to my pack.

A low rumble came from farther within the cave. I looked behind me and saw two yellow eyes looking straight at me.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me." I mumbled to myself.

My hands were still cramped from climbing in such cold conditions. I almost didn't start the fire because of it. I knew I wouldn't be able to hold either of my guns, so I went for my dagger. Just as I had reached for my calf, the beast pounced on me. I rolled around dodging its sharp teeth with one hand and trying to get my dagger with the other. The wolf chomped at my face but I quickly evaded and rolled into a crouch. I was holding my dagger clumsily, unable to get a firm grip on it. I felt the claw marks on my shoulders bleeding but also slowly healing.

"You'll have to disembowel me if you want to kill me, you stupid mutt." I said snottily to the animal before I spat blood.

The wolf stared at me and growled, bearing its teeth. Finally, it jumped at me again and with a loud yelp, came crashing back to the ground. I had jabbed at the animal and gone straight through his side. I had stabbed it through the heart.

I smirked as I withdrew my dagger from the beast's side, "Well, it looks like I won't be having dried meat for dinner tonight."


	10. Chapter 10: Alone

Chapter 10- Alone

I didn't sleep that night. I certainly tried to but there was something about where I was, what I was doing, what had just happened that kept me awake. I feasted gloriously on the wolf that night. When the morning sun had peaked its little rays inside the cave, I put the out the fire and gathered my things. For a few moments, I stared at the wolf's dead carcass.

_I wonder if you had a family…_I wondered as I cocked my head to the side and bit my lip.

I furrowed my brow and put my things down before picking the wolf up and laying it farther inside the cave. I went to the mouth of the cave and gathered some snow. I buried the wolf in it but I still wasn't satisfied. The snow would soon melt and the wolf would again be exposed to the elements. I shrugged and walked away. I put my pack on and left the cave.

When I was at the mouth of the cave, I looked down and saw Aeris was climbing the cliffs with the rest of her group. I was starting to get used to their late morning get-ups, so their decision of early travels shocked me.

I began my ascent up the Cliff. As early morning turned to early afternoon, I had reached the top. The brisk wind had almost completely dissipated and the top of Gaea's Cliff was about ten degrees warmer than just thirty feet below. I ran toward my bike and quickly hopped on. I was overjoyed I didn't have to rely on my tired arms and legs to take me to the Crater.

Truth be told, I'm pretty lazy. It certainly doesn't show if you compare me to most other lazy people, though. I suppose it's because I still have a sense of responsibility somewhere within me. I can't seem to give into my urge to stay home and just read. I really do love reading. It relaxes me after a long mission…and after other things.

I revved the engine a few times to check whether anything was wrong and broke out full speed ahead toward the Crater. The airship was still anchored near the Crater, so I knew Rufus was still there.

I stopped about two hundred yards away from the ship and pulled out some of the dry meat from my pack. I snacked for a bit and then pulled out my PHS.

"Hey now. Anybody up there? Look out a window!" I said after fixing the frequency.

A crackle came through, "Identify yourself, please."

"Can you just let me up? Seriously, let the walkway down."

"I can't let you up until you identi—"

The man on the other end was cut off and I heard Rufus, "It's being lowered."

I could almost hear the scowl on his face. I waited patiently for the ramp to finally reach the ground. I backed up and then sped up the ramp and onto the deck.

I declared jovially upon my arrival on deck, "Gravity will not be my master."

Rufus walked up to me and this time, I could see his scowl. I tried to crack a smile but I felt like a baby who knows she's in trouble and can't do a damn thing about it.

Rufus spoke in a hushed tone while grabbing my arm and pinching hard, "For someone who is supposed to be a secret, you're making yourself a damn fine spectacle! How you were kept underground for so long, I'll never know."

"It's called hiding in plain sight, Rufus," I pulled my arm out of his grip, "Besides, did you really think people wouldn't notice me staying in your stateroom? All this crew knows is some crazy girl keeps coming and going. They all probably think you have mouthy girlfriend. I'm tired of being suck a damn secret, anyway."

"Somehow, I don't think that's quite the theory of hiding in plain sight."

We started walking toward his quarters. Rufus' posture was stiff and his eyes were shifting all about the hallway. I knew this look from past experience. He only looked like that when he was thinking about me. It's and awkward state to be in when the person you're involved with looks most uncomfortable when around you.

"Thinking about Sephiroth, Rufus?"

Rufus jerked his head in an almost violent motion to look at me, "Something like that."

"You know, if you don't say anything, I'm not going to do anything about it."

"About Sephiroth? You have your orders."

"Yea, I know my orders on Sephiroth: seek and destroy. I'm like a fucking robot around here. Next thing you know, you'll be replacing Proud Clod with me! I was talking about what you're REALLY thinking about."

Rufus opened the door to his room for me. Typical Rufus: only a gentleman when he thinks I'm in trouble.

He breathed in deeply as he closed the door. I was already bracing myself for a long-winded speech on the importance of secrecy when it comes to me and my missions but instead, Rufus let out a long sigh and said, "I missed you. You left without saying anything. Couldn't contact your PHS, either."

Rufus leaned closer to me and began kissing my neck.

I giggled and said, "Yea, I guess the frequency was wrong. I noticed that when I got back to the ship. I wondered why you hadn't called."

I'm not sure how I managed to get a sentence out while Rufus nuzzled my neck and slowly took off my gun holsters.

"It's okay. Where did you go? Did you see the Ancient, again?"

"Yea. They're moving quickly up the Cliffs. They're about a day behind you."

Rufus turned off the light, "Good. We're heading out for the Crater tomorrow morning."

I awoke rather early the next morning and took a shower. It had been weeks since I felt hot water on my skin. Bathing in rivers and lakes is not as appealing as it once had been. The relaxation of the outdoors can lose its charm after weeks of being immersed in it.

When I had emerged from the steam filled bathroom, Rufus was awake and walking around the room in a red satin robe and slippers. He was trying to find something.

"Hey Fee, have you seen my black shirt? I can't find it."

"It's in the closet, next to your wool-lined jacket. It's hard to see because they're both so dark. I noticed it when I got my blouse the other day."

He fumbled in the closet for moment, "Yep. There it is. I'm glad I always have you to tell me where my finest clothes are. You know, this is 100 fine spun silk? The shirts are made special for me. No one else can get such fine shirts."

"How lovely." I said with a shrug while slipping into a nice pair of slacks.

"Oh. When we got to the Crater, we're bound to meet up with the AVALANCHE group, right?"

"Yea. They're probably less than a day behind us now."

"Right. Well, when we do, you're going to capture the Ancient. Got it?"

"Yea. No problem."

Aeris would be safer with me, anyway. I wouldn't have to worry about Cloud messing things up and hurting Aeris again, either.

"You're to take her back to the ship."

"Gotcha."

"Right…no weird shit, Fee."

"I know. Don't treat me like a child. You're the younger one."

"But I'm in charge."

I buttoned up my shirt and rolled my eyes. I could feel Rufus' burning into me.

"You should feel lucky."

Rufus slicked his hair back with his hand.

"Why's that?"

"They think less of me because of you."

My back stiffened and my eyes widened. I tried to remain casual and laced my boots.

"It's not because you could be more powerful or anything. I don't really think you are, anyway. They don't understand what I could see in you. So they think less of me."

Rufus' voice was cold and unfeeling. I strapped my dagger onto my calf and made sure my holsters were in place. I slid my gun and rifle into their respective niches. I was speechless. I couldn't think of anything to say. Although, whether it mattered, I couldn't tell because Rufus had already begun to continue his morning routine. The silence was piercing my ears by the time I left to venture toward the boardroom. This time, however, I was going to be briefed rather than to eat.

I walked the halls in a deadened state of mind. I was never sure whether Rufus saw me as conquest or love. I'd place my bets on the former, though. That thought had always lingered in the back of my mind whenever I was with him.

When I had reached the boardroom, I was accompanied by Hojo, "How might you be, Ms. Shinra?"

"Fine, Hojo. Dandy, even." I said as he opened the door for me.

I sat down and waited for Rufus to arrive and tell us exactly what we were going to do. Scarlet tapped her fingers on the tabletop. The room was filled with people who had either animosity or jealousy toward each other. In most instances, it was both. The tension could have been cut with a knife and I was the only person who happened to be carrying one.

I bounced in my chair a bit and looked around the room. I noticed the newly installed 'Rufus' posters. Heidegger sat near the head of the table and fumbled through some papers. Scarlet had stopped tapping her fingers and had begun primping herself using a compact she'd taken out of her purse. Hojo was alternately writing in a small notepad and glancing in my general direction. It was situations like these that made me cherish my solitude.

Rufus burst through the doors and strutted to the head of the table.

"This is a clean-cut mission. All we're going to do is hike to the center of the Crater. Hojo says we'll find mako there."

"I thought we were after Sephiroth."

I was chastised with scowls and heavy sighs.

"Of course, we are but our main goal is to locate the mako to build a reactor. If Hojo's right, we can build a few." Rufus replied almost begrudgingly.

"Mr. President, when will we be leaving?"

Hojo seemed quite eager to reach the Crater. I wondered why he was so interested with it. He wasn't very geological in his science, and he held very little interest in mako reactors. My suspicions, I knew, would not become justified until later. I was willing to wait. It would be just another reason to dislike the man.

"Actually, I was thinking about now. Fiona has informed me that the rebel group, AVALANCHE, is only about half a day away. We must hurry to the Crater.

Three gestures of agreement were given out and the five of us were on our way. I pleaded with Heidegger to bring a small SOLDIER contingency but he refused.

"Nyahahahaha. Come now, you're strong enough for whatever's out there."

I heaved an angry and defeated groan and ventured forth on the trail to the Crater. My mental image of Scarlet hiking in stiletto heels was soon replaced with the real thing.

"How's the feet, Scarlet? Oh, and might I add, those are just the loveliest shoes I've seen in ages!"

"Hush you little strumpet. "

"Oh, don't project your anger with yourself on me, Scarlet. It's just not healthy. I'm worried about you." I said with snarl.

"Can you two just shut up and stop bickering? You sound like children." Rufus scolded.

I looked at my touring companions and saw that both Rufus and Heidegger were carrying weapons. After this discovery, I knew I could hang back and hike alone for a bit while I waited for Aeris and her friends.

"I think I'll lag behind and take up the rear."

Scarlet scoffed, "I hope you don't end up back with us."

"Wouldn't bother me much. Anyway, is that all right?"

Rufus was apathetic, "I don't care."

I stopped for a moment and then backtracked about a mile. There, I waited for the others to arrive. Even with Barret's constant negative chatter, I'd prefer his company to anyone in Shin-Ra.


	11. Chapter 11: Alright, that's the cut off...

Chapter 11- Alright, that's the cut off!

It wasn't long before the members of AVALANCHE had reached where I was waiting. Although they usually had a late start, when they actually moved, they moved quickly. We would undoubtedly catch up to Rufus and company rather quickly.

"Hey. I, uhh, thought it'd be all right to go with you rather than the rest. I mean, we're going to the same place, right?"

Barret shook his head and heaved a defeated sigh, "You one strange girl. Makin' bout as much sense as that spiky-headed bastard."

Cloud turned around and looked at Barret with an amused smile. Barret let out a hearty laugh.

"Yea. You can come with us," Cloud said gesturing toward the Crater, "How much farther to the center?"

"I'd guess seven miles, give or take."

"About a day's journey, Cloud. We should hike into the night." Tifa said while huffing and puffing through the rocky trail.

Cid added, "I'd have to agree. This crater is just so damn huge!"

"Awww, but I'm tired." Yuffie complained.

So we hiked through the long trail to the center of the Crater. We hiked over jagged rocks, around boulders and into dank caverns. The farther into the Crater we traveled, the darker and more sinister looking it became. The ominous atmosphere seemed to eat its way into our bones and caused a dulling silence to come over the entire group.

I tried to respect the silence of the group, but by my mental calculations, we were getting quite close to the center of the Crater. I had to somehow get Aeris out of the group. I was deep in my thoughts, scheming ways to get her away from her companions in AVALANCHE when I noticed she was looking right at me. Every few seconds, she would glance in my direction. It almost seemed as if she were waiting for me to notice her. Once she had caught my attention, she spoke up, "Can I talk to you?"

It was so strange she would ask to speak with me just as I was pondering how to coax her away from the rest of the group. Her green eyes had the glint of curiosity and naivety that only a child can have and yet, I knew she had been changed by her experiences. She held a naivety that made her so open and trusting whereas I had been through my own ordeals and in turn had become hardened. Aeris had successfully detached herself from Shin-Ra and immersed herself in life. I was a barnacle on that great whale. No matter how hard I tried, I wasn't going anywhere.

Aeris had dealt with a constant barrage of cruel treatment from Shin-Ra. First, they killed her father—Professor Gast—and then her mother six years later. They had imprisoned her and her mother and allowed Hojo to exploit them. Aeris did not receive as much attention as her mother, thankfully. I suppose Hojo had moved past experimenting on young children.

She touched my hand and looked at me imploringly, "It'd only take a moment."

"Yea, no problem. Take all the time you need."

I paused a moment to let Yuffie, Cait Sith and Nanaki pass. Aeris seemed eager to tell me whatever had been on her mind. I reckoned it could not have been something terrible or bad because of the interesting smile on her face. It was a smile that implied she knew something. A cocky smile one gets when they are perfectly content with some new nugget of information they know they alone hold. It could be said it was a smug grin or perhaps even a smirk.

Aeris waited a few beats, then said cheerfully, "I'd been thinking about you a lot since you saved me and especially after hearing all that stuff that happened to you."

"I'm glad I can provoke some thought…" I said slightly intrigued.

"I knew you were there. In the Knowlespole, I mean."

"What? How?"

"When I was praying, I could hear all the Cetra from the past. They were in the Lifestream. I was praying for Holy."

"Okay, go on."

"They told me Sephiroth was going to come to kill me. I got scared for a second but I knew it was going to happen for a reason. Everything happens for a reason."

"I hope so."

"They told me you were there, though. That you would save me and everything would be okay."

"Wow. That's pretty nifty," I was a little uneasy, "So did they tell you a lot about me?"

"No," Aeris frowned and looked away, "They just said you would stop Sephiroth."

Relief swept over me. I wasn't sure why but I was scared to talk to Aeris about certain things. I suppose I was just scared to get the ball rolling. I wasn't sure how to start that kind of conversation. I'd followed Aeris for so long and rehearsed that conversation so many times. I had a hundred different ways to tell her the whole truth of who I am. The only thing holding me back was a fear of her reaction. Aeris turned her head back to face me and she was making that strange smirk once again.

"I started to think about where I had recognized you from in the Shin-Ra building after you told us all that stuff at the cabin."

Aeris had caught my interest, "Did you remember anything?"

I felt so cowardly but I hoped against hope that she would recognize me for who I really was or at least what I had done before.

"Yes." Aeris paused and twirled her hair with her finger. Her grin became bigger and then she leaned close to me and hugged me.

"Whoa! What the—"

"I remember you from when I was small. It was weird. When you were unconscious after Cloud saved you from drowning, I was looking at you and I knew I knew you from somewhere. These flashes of memory from when I was little kept coming to mind but you were way too young to be in those memories. I figured you just looked like someone from my past…"

"But then I said how old I was and you remembered?"

"Well…not exactly. I was still thinking about it until just now. I just don't get it, though." Aeris furrowed her brow.

"Get what?"

"You left us. You didn't come and then…"

"What? No! You don't remember?" I was frantic. I couldn't think of anything to say. Words were just running through my mind so quickly I couldn't pinpoint one that applied to what I had to say. I fumbled with words in my head while my eyes began to water.

"Are you guys coming," Cid yelled from a distance, "Your slow asses gotta catch up!"

"You go on ahead, Aeris. I have to think some things through."

Aeris put her hand on my shoulder and said, "I'm glad I remember who you are now."


	12. Chapter 12: Prelude to an end

Chapter 12- Prelude to an end

I leaned against the rock face and kicked a few stones with my foot. My face was scrunched into my "thinking face" and I was definitely thinking pretty hard. I inched toward the edge of the ravine and peered down. It must have gone for miles. The cut into the crater was thin but very deep. After a while, all you could see was black.

I was debating whether I should stay here with Shin-Ra and AVALANCHE or to make my way back toward the airship. I was so obstinate! Why couldn't I just tell Aeris the truth? Why was it so hard for me to tell her who I was, where I came from and why I was here? I just wanted her to somehow figure it out on her own. I was such a coward.

I heaved a labored sigh and decided I really needed a break. The rest of the Turks were about to go on vacation, I may as well head out that way myself. It would only help me to get some time away from all the worry and my constant state of alertness. I kicked at the dirt below me again and then began to head off back to the airship. I cursed myself for always making these decisions AFTER I'd traveled so far.

_How many miles is it to the airship? I'll never get there before sundown. _I thought to myself. _I hope everything goes well with Sephiroth._

I jogged a bit of the way back to the airship. When I had estimated I was halfway home, I decided to ease up on my pace and start walking. I heard a shuffling behind me and whipped around to see what it was. About twenty feet behind me, I saw Aeris trying to catch up with me. I cocked my head sideways and grinned. She looked so funny.

Out of breath, Aeris stopped in front of me and bent down with hands on her knees.

"You…run…so…fast…" she said in between gasps of breath.

I chuckled, "I was only jogging. How long have you been behind me? You actually kept pace with me? Strong girl."

"I've been following you since you left, almost. You…couldn't hear me yell to stop?"

"When I start jogging, I get in a zone. It's hard to describe."

Aeris huffed and wheezed but slowly stood up straight and smiled. She motioned she was ready to keep hiking.

"Why are you going this way? Don't you want to stop Sephiroth?"

"I don't know why I'm doing this. I just…had a feeling I was supposed to go with you. Cloud can handle Sephiroth." Aeris frowned, "Anyway, I already tried to pray for Holy. I guess it didn't work. I lost the White materia, too. I can't try again."

"What d'you mean, you lost the White materia?" I asked while I set the pace for our hike. I slowed myself down considerably so Aeris wouldn't be too stressed.

"All the commotion from when you collided with Sephiroth startled me and I dropped the materia into the water. Too bad you didn't know. You could've caught it so we could try again."

"I didn't see any White materia, anyway. Sorry."

"It's okay. The only way to stop Sephiroth now is to make sure he doesn't summon Meteor. That won't be hard as long as we still have the Black materia."

I tripped over a small piece of rock jutting out from the ground. I looked back and noticed it wasn't a rock at all but, rather, a piece of materia.

"Holy shit. That's materia. A HUGE piece of materia!"

Aeris bent down with her hands folded behind her back, "Yep. That's materia. Who cares?"

I shrugged, "I don't. I have all the materia I need on my weapons."

We walked for a while without saying anything to each other. The Crater was getting lighter and lighter as we neared the edges. I hoped it wouldn't be very long until we reached the airship.

Aeris finally broke the silence, "Fiona…"

"Yea, kiddo?" I said absentmindedly. I was busy thinking about the strange happenings of the day. It all seemed to click so neatly into place. Everything was going as I'd hoped and with as little effort as possible on my part. I brushed off my shirt, which had developed a grey hue from all the dirt and grime in the Crater. Aeris' pink dress had developed a more dusty rose color.

"Can you tell me what happened back then?"

In an attempt to play dumb, I said, "Back when?"

"When I was little…with my mother."

"Oh. You mean back _then_…"I cringed, "That's quite a story."

"I have time. Why is it you're so weird about telling me about it? I just want to know more about…my mother, I guess. I can't really remember her. I mean, I always knew Elmyra wasn't my real mother but she was the only one I could really remember. I suppose I hope you might remember her for me."

I turned and looked at Aeris. She had lost her gleeful visage I had almost always seen on her face. Her expression was more serious, now. She still looked so innocent, though. After all she'd gone through, she was still so childlike.

I took a deep breath and finally got to tell her what I had rehearsed so many times before. None of it came out the way I had practiced.

"It was seventeen years ago, now wasn't it?"

"Yea. I was about five when my mother died, I think."

"You seem the same way, even now," I said with a small smile, "I had just finished my training to become a Turk and I was ecstatic. Now that I think back, I realize I was being groomed to become one of my father's pawns since I was young. He showered me with so much attention…Rufus must resent me for how much attention Father gave to me."

"Especially since, technically, it was his father, not yours."

I jerked my head and looked at Aeris in shock of what she had said. I opened my mouth to say something but decided against it.

"Anyway…I was walking through the back offices and I heard a commotion. It sounded like a little girl crying. I walked over to where the sounds were coming from and saw Tseng taking in a girl and her mother. Tseng was a lot younger then. He wasn't leader of the Turks, either. Just a regular Turk like I am. You know, I've thought about this so much and never thought of how many people are now dead…it's so sad."

"It is, isn't it? Was that little girl crying me?"

"Yea. Yea, it was. You were just wailing and kicking and screaming. Ifal—your mother was just standing there while Tseng held you trying to shut you up. He was in WAY over his head with you," I laughed quietly, "Ifalna finally touched Tseng's shoulder and took you into her arms and you quieted down. You must have been so scared. Your mother, though, she seemed so calm."

"She was calm even though she was going to be experimented on? Did she know?"

"I'm sure she knew. I mean, you guys had actually been in and out of the Shin-Ra building for a long time. Gast had been dead for almost just as long as you'd been captive. I'm sure Ifalna had already been a test subject of Hojo's for years, at that point. It was just the first time I'd ever seen you. I was so caught up in finishing the plan laid out for me, I didn't spend much time on Hojo's floor."

"How long were we there for? Why was Gast dead?"

I looked at her a bit puzzled, "You don't know? Professor Gast was your father."

Aeris looked at me but remained silent. Her eyes began to well up a bit but she held back her urge to cry. I felt terrible. I had just told her something about herself she had never known and probably never would have.

"You can cry if you want to. You shouldn't hold those kinds of things back."

"He was my father? How…" Aeris began to cry.

She burrowed her head in my shoulder. I rubbed her back as she cried tears of total sorrow and confusion. I was always the bearer of bad news. I had told Rufus that Mother had died and was first on the scene to the Mako Reactor bombings. I had resigned myself to the fact I would never be the messenger of good things. I gave Aeris a hug and she pulled away from me.

"Just tell me what happened…save everything else for later."

I looked at Aeris with total sympathy, "Are you sure?"

"Just tell me!" Aeris shouted.

"I walked over to Tseng after you had calmed down—I had never been good with children—and I asked him who you both were. He told me and I looked at your mother. When our eyes met, I knew…" I paused for a moment as I deliberated over what to say.

"You knew what?" Aeris said as she wiped her now red and swollen eyes.

"I felt this connection with your mother. After you were taken to your cell, I visited you both. I found out that you both had been there for quite sometime and about the last remaining three Cetra."

Aeris cut me off, "Two. There were only two Cetra left."

"Yes. Sorry. I began to visit you both more regularly. I had just started to get missions as a Turk and I felt like such a disgusting wretch whenever I visited you both. I could have been the one who was sent after you had I become a Turk just a few weeks earlier. I started to bring you gifts and toys to play with but Hojo always took them away from you. Hojo and I have never had a good relationship so I just kept on bringing you playthings."

"I think I remember that." Aeris seemed to be able to smile just a little bit through her puffed out face.

"Soon, I was totally revolted by Hojo's actions. It was only just before I had met you both that I found out Hojo had experimented on me as a child. It only fueled my reasoning for what I did next."

Aeris seemed almost excited to hear my story now, "What did you do?"

"I planned out how we were going to break you out of the building."

I paused for a moment and stood still, "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what? Wait…that rumbling?"

I pulled my knife out from its sheath, prepared for an attack. I crouched down and put my ear to the ground.

"It's not coming from anywhere near us. It almost seems like it's coming from inside the ground."

The earth began to shake beneath us and suddenly there was a huge blast of energy. We went flying about fifty feet into the air and landed more than one hundred feet from where we had just been standing. As I flew through the air I caught a glimpse of something flying high above us. As we felt to the ground I hit my head on a large, pointed rock and fell into a black sea of nightmares.


	13. Chapter 13: Dreamscape

Chapter 13- Dreamscape

"You have to promise me you'll be there. I don't know how far we can get without you. Aeris is so small."

My vision was blurry. I could focus only on Ifalna who stood before me with a background of total darkness. If I hadn't already known where I was, I'd have been at a total loss. It was total tunnel vision.

"It will be fine, Ifalna. Take Aeris out using my I.D. card and get on the train. They'll never think it's not me leaving."

"We'll meet in Kalm?"

"No. Meet me in Midgar at the Sector 5 train station. I promise you'll be safe."

Ifalna was visibly flustered. I could tell she was weak from all of Hojo's experiments. She might die if she stayed here any longer. That's why we were breaking her out. They both looked so scared. I was scared, too. I wasn't sure about everything going as planned. I hoped it would.

"Did you make sure we'd be able to get out?"

"Of course I did. I'll distract the guards while you guys sneak out. It's easy sailing from there. You've only been brought through the back offices, so if you play it cool, you'll get past the front desk without a problem. We've rehearsed this, Ifalna. You'll do fine."

"You're right." Ifalna seemed so meek.

I heard a gentle peep coming from the corner, "Miss Fee, when are you gonna be back?"

I smiled and walked toward the little girl. I crouched down to look at her face and held her hands, "I'll see you real soon, hon. You just be brave like your mother and everything will be fine."

I hugged her and kissed her forehead.

"Oh! I have a present for you."

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a long silk pink ribbon. After tickling Aeris' face with the ribbon, I said, "Okay, turn around. I'll put it in your hair," I had always been horrible with hair, so I fumbled with the bow for a moment, "See there? It'll keep the hair out of your eyes while you're on the lamb."

Aeris giggled, showing her two missing front teeth.

"I'm not on a lamb! Miss Fee, did you have a bow, too, when you were littler?"

"It's that one on your head, silly rabbit. Okay! It's time. Are you ready, kiddo?"

"Yes!"

Aeris seemed almost excited to go leave, now. I silently exited the cell door and dropped a small card on the floor. I turned around and winked at Ifalna, then smiled reassuringly at Aeris.

I walked out and drew in a long breath. What I was going to do next would be very difficult for me.

I don't know how, but it seemed like I suddenly appeared inside the security office. I remembered walking in but I never…felt the motion. I was jarred for a moment and then went instantly back to my mission.

A man with a light blue uniform and a nametag that said, "Earl" swiveled around in his chair. He looked at me for a moment and smiled a lecherous smile.

"I've noticed you every time I come to visit the test subjects." I said while slowly walking around all the security equipment searching for the button that would open the cell doors.

The security guard was leaning his chair in such a way to make it easier for him to see up my skirt, "I've noticed you, too."

I sauntered over to the man, "What's your name?"

"Earl. What's yours, sugar?"

"Does it matter?" I asked after I had straddled Earl in his chair.

"It don't matter to me if it don't matter to you."

I leaned close to his face and smelled his rank breath and almost died. My first was wasted on a skuzzy security man. I took a mental holiday and began kissing Earl. At first with trepidation, then, as I became more used to the disgusted feeling inside of me, I began to massage my tongue on his. I focused on the security equipment. I had to find that button. I was NOT going to let this horrible experience be for naught.

At long last—and after what had seemed like forever—I spotted the button. It was a switch, actually. I started to rock the chair in order to get it closer to the control panel. Earl released a murmur of enjoyment. Once I had gotten close enough to the switch, I rocked the chair even harder. At this point, Earl had taken the liberty to try to stick his hands down my pants. I quickly rebuked him and put his hands back on my thighs. Finally, I had been able to reach my hand to the switch. After a few misses, I finally flipped it and the cell doors opened.

Earl began to stir when he heard the noise. I tightened my legs around his body and didn't let him move.

He chuckled and in between sloppy kisses, he said, "Rough little bitch, aren't you?"

I tightened my thighs grip on Earl and kicked my legs out. I reached for the dagger my father had just bought me for becoming a Turk and bashed the hilt on the back of the lecher.

Why didn't I do that earlier…and why did his name have to be Earl… 

I cringed at the thought of what I did and I ran outside of the office and down the stairs to the next floor. I ran to the bathroom and puked in the first toilet I saw. I stood up and wiped off my face then walked over to the sink and cleaned up. I quickly ran down over sixty flights of stairs and left out the side entrance.

I told Ifalna how to navigate the underground train railway and how to hop onto the trains from down there. I even provided them with fake I.D. cards. Ifalna knew to discard mine once she was out of the building. It was planned. Everything was perfect and right now, we were right on track.

When I was outside of the building, I spat out the last taste of Earl left in my mouth and picked up my I.D. card from where Ifalna was told to leave it. I ran to the train station in Sector 5. I had to go through the train graveyard in order to remain unseen.

I had reached the train station too late. I saw Aeris leaning over Ifalna on the stairs. A Shin-Ra soldier ignored the two women, as if they were nothing. I ran to Aeris and hugged her so tight. I looked at Ifalna and saw she was still alive.

"Ifalna! What…are you okay?"

Ifalna slowly turned her head and looked at both Aeris and me. She seemed so calm even then.

"I know you will protect her. My little angels will be fine. Protect her."

Ifalna's eyes slowly lulled to the back of her head. I searched my mind for what to say to Aeris but could think of nothing. I couldn't imagine saying anything that could help her.

"Mama's gone, isn't she?"

"Yea. She is, Aeris." I frowned.

"They say she's gonna be okay. She's happy now."

I cocked my head to the side and looked at the little girl puzzled, "Who said that?"

"The voices said it. Don't you hear them?"

I held Aeris a bit closer and said, "Yea. Of course I do."

I tried to think of friends that were trustworthy enough to take care of Aeris. I'm sure they'd all figure out she was different at some point. She'd never truly fit in. I saw a woman walk toward the train station and looked intently at her. She was clean and walked with a purpose. She didn't look so unhealthy as everyone else in the slums. She had a strange glow to her.

I turned to Aeris and pulled her body to look at me, "See that nice lady there? See if she'll take of you. She's nice. I'll be back soon. I promise you. She'll take care of you, I know it."

I couldn't control myself but I shook the child while speaking to her. I embraced her one last time and then ran off. I watched the old lady walk up to Aeris and I watched as she took Aeris' hand and led her away.

My vision went black. I scrambled in the darkness trying to find something to hold on to. I tried to find something to tell me what had happened to my vision. Had I gone blind?

I felt an acute pain on the side of my head and I grabbed at my hair. The noise! It was so excruciating. It wouldn't get out of my head. The noise was in my head. It was like rushing water…THUMP…TH-THUMP…TH-THUMP. I squeezed my eyes shut so hard but when I opened them, a light pierced into my eyes.

I rubbed them and adjusted to the light. I saw the bleak scenery that made up the Crater. I felt a cold wetness all over my body. I was so embarrassed the shock of that energy blast had actually made me urinate on myself. I looked down and saw Aeris covered in blood.

I hadn't pissed myself but I wished I had. I saw my knife lodged inside Aeris' stomach. I scrambled off of her body and looked at her again. I crouched down next to her and touched her shoulder. I stood back up quick as lightning and walked a couple feet away from then turned back around and crouched back down next to her. This time, tears streamed down my face. I felt her neck and there was no heartbeat. She was cold and stiff. Still, I tried to cast the Cure spell more than a dozen times. I cursed myself for not bringing a Revive materia. I knew she was far too gone to try to use a Revive spell but I couldn't forgive myself for not bringing one.

I picked up her body and walked the rest of the way to the airship crying. When I arrived to where the airship was once anchored, I found nothing. No one was there. I fell down to my knees and released a sound so sorrowful and grief-stricken that I'm sure the people in Icicle Inn could feel it.

I picked Aeris' body back up and turned around to see Cid and Nanaki standing behind me. At first Cid looked at me with a puzzled expression and then what had happened registered in his mind and he ran to me. Nanaki soon realized the situation and dug his paws into the dirt and scurried toward me.

"You killed her!"

"I…I didn't mean to."

Yuffie soon crawled out from the Crater, followed by Cait Sith and Vincent. Vincent walked away and looked back toward the Crater. Both Yuffie and Cait Sith ran toward me and stood slack jawed.

"Here, take her. You should bury her."

"How did this happen?" Nanaki seemed less accusatory than I had thought he would.

"The rumble…I didn't know what it was and then the blast. I woke up and she was…gone."

Nanaki put nestled his head into my leg in an attempt to comfort me. Even Cid put his hand on my shoulder and then took Aeris' body from my arms.

"Hey! Why're you guys being all nice and goody to the chick who killed our friend," Yuffie was holding back tears "Why aren't we fighting her? Killing her? We gotta do something. She KILLED Aeris."

"I LOVED Aeris!" I screamed at Yuffie.

"Oh, then that explains it. Figures a brother fucker would be in love with a girl, too. What is wrong with you? If you loved her so much then why'd you kill her!"

"It's not like that…I loved her…like a sister. She was my sister."

A silence swept over the group and Vincent walked up to Yuffie, "It was an accident, Yuffie. She's suffering just as we are," he looked around, "We should bury her—but not here. Let's find a place."

"Where's Cloud…and Tifa?"

"Tifa and Barret were captured by Shin-Ra and Cloud…we don't know. He must have been sucked into the Lifestream." Nanaki informed me.

I couldn't believe all this had happened so quickly, "I, uhh, I can't…I have to go. I can't do this. No, this isn't happening."

I ran off toward Gaea's Cliff and flipped out my PHS and requested a lift back home. It was hours before the airship arrived. My only greeting was from Bud.

"Hey. Big thing, the Weapons being released by that AVALANCHE group, eh?"

"Bud, take me to Wutai. I need to get away from this all."

I went into Rufus' quarters to find it empty. I fell onto the bed and didn't leave it until we were in Wutai. I left the airship without so much as a word to the crew. I had a few bits of clothes and my guns. I'd left my dagger on the trail in the Crater.

The innkeeper was rude when I checked in but I had nothing to say. I paid for the room and then went inside and slept. It was the first long rest I had had in weeks.


End file.
